The Build

This section applies to buying or taking on management of land or buildings and making significant changes. The section focuses on buildings as the considerations are considerable when the project is a new build or refurbishment. However if your project focuses on land you will still learn how to avoid pitfalls by reading through this section.

The physical transformation of land or buildings is often the focus of most of the professional input and the business planning activity on a development or purchase project. This is understandable given the work (and creativity) involved in purchase, design and build and the capital costs of creating buildings and landscapes or improving existing ones.

Often, less attention is devoted to the effects of design and construction decisions on the future use of an asset and its management and maintenance in the longer term. These decisions will have a significant affect on its potential viability and sustainability.

In many ways it is useful to think about managing and maintaining assets before they are built or improved if they are to be fit for their purpose and can be well managed and maintained into the future.

Related Resources

REAP's community energy guide "Energising Community Halls" can help your community building save money and look at what renewables might be suitable for your site. This guide is the result of a year-long CCF funded project by REAP based in Keith, Moray.